O’Connell earns biggest win, toppling Zverev in Germany

Sydney’s Chris O’Connell has loved the most effective win of his unheralded profession, beating Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in entrance of the German’s adoring Munich followers within the BMW Open clay-court occasion.

On a bitingly chilly, damp Thursday lunchtime on a sluggish clay court docket, the Australian produced an excellent efficiency to energy to a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win in 4 minutes beneath two hours, fairly ruining Zverev’s twenty sixth birthday.

Zverev wasn’t ranked as excessive as Diego Schwartzman, who was the world No.13 when O’Connell put paid to the Argentine in final 12 months’s Australian Open.

But this victory over the two-time ATP Finals champ Zverev, one of many largest names within the sport even when he has dropped to No.16 within the rankings, represented O’Connell’s most interesting hour.

“Yeah, for certain,” beamed O’Connell, after being requested on court docket whether or not it was the largest victory in his six years as a professional.

“It is undoubtedly onerous enjoying Zverev right here in entrance of his house crowd. There was an superior environment – it was tremendous chilly, however I am completely happy to get by it.

“I am undoubtedly not ready to play on this climate – that is the coldest I’ve ever performed in, it was robust! Took me some time to get warmed up.”

The Sydneysider, ranked 82 on the planet, was at all times on the entrance foot, trying snug on the clay, incomes an early break after which dominating the tie-break after Zverev had fought again.

Within the second set, O’Connell took a 4-2 lead solely to be once more pegged again by some brilliance from Zverev, twice champion on this occasion who’s been battling to search out some consistency since his return from the ankle damage he sustained eventually 12 months’s French Open.

After breaking again for 4-4, Zverev once more stuttered, serving a fifth double fault earlier than being crushed by a blinding cross-court winner from O’Connell and a ripped forehand down the road because the Australian regained the benefit.

The 26-year-old then confirmed no indicators of nerves as he served out to like for the match, with Zverev finally giving up the ghost with a feeble backhand into the web.

O’Connell will subsequent transfer on to a quarter-final assembly in opposition to Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli.

Within the week’s largest males’s clay-court occasion on the Barcelona Open, Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur has additionally made the quarter-finals after a walkover in opposition to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who pulled out earlier than their last-16 tie with sickness.

It means de Minaur has reached the last-eight for simply the lack of a single recreation, after a first-round bye and a second-round 6-0 6-1 trouncing of Russian Alexander Shevchenko.

On Friday, he’ll face an enormous take a look at in opposition to Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was ominously spectacular in beating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-2.